Lost and Found
by wikipedias
Summary: Cancelled. AU. Running away is never easy. Especially from your insanely rich best friend. And his detectives. And the entire Konoha Island. While trying to find out why your father is dead and mother ran away and left you with her employers — NarutoSakua
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not and, most likely, never will own Naruto and its related whatever._

* * *

--

In a decapitated dump in the southern area of Konoha, a petite teenage girl sat amongst the garbage. A frayed bag, which seemed to be her's, and several pieces of furniture were scattered haphazardly around her. Her skirt was torn at the hem, her shirt at the sleeves and dust and grime everywhere. She was a runaway. Very common in Konoha. Once you knew where to look.

Smiling sadly, Sakura Haruno gave the last of her stale bread to a passing kitten and sighed. It had been another long day. There was nothing worth scavenging here. Not even an old book! She had been counting on this dump site. It had been one of her last options. Now she had to put a cross on this spot on her map. _Where can I go next…I'll try the city. Haven't been there in a while…_Trying to be optimistic, Sakura smiled but failed miserably. Who could smile when you ran away from home to find out about your past?

Sighing again, Sakura reached for her bagpack and gripped the familiar rectangular box. The box that held her locket. Correction: the box that _used_ to hold her locket. She sniffed forlornly and looked up at the white full moon, as though waiting for something.

"Naruto…I…miss you," she started to whisper, "More than a best friend should…I miss my mom…I miss the house…I…argh! Why is this so _hard_?!" For the seventh time since she left, Sakura started to cry. She cried softly, barely making a sound. She cried of forgotten promises, of sadness and of worrying about Naruto Uzumaki.

They had met in his house, a vast mansion of a house. Sakura's mother had started to work there. A simple cleaning woman. She had brought Sakura along with her since she was too young to be left alone at home.

The employer didn't mind.

In fact, Mr. Jiraiya, or Pervy Man, had encouraged her to bring 'little Sakura'. He said it was good for his nephew to have a 'girlfriend'. He winked in an impish way that Tsunade Haruno couldn't help but laugh. That was the beginning of Jiraiya's ever-increasing hints of Sakura and Naruto marrying.

So Sakura and Naruto met. The beggar and the heir, as local housewives, vicious gossipers, liked to call it.

Haruno and Uzumaki soon started to become friends and slowly became best friends. Soon, they were inseparable. Naruto only left Sakura when he had to go for his lessons and Sakura only left Naruto when she had to take care of her tired mother. This friendship lasted for more than seven years; a feat that had the locals impressed. They had thought that Naruto would get on Sakura's nerves and vice versa. But they didn't. Sakura and Naruto, anyway.

At nine, they would argue about everything and nothing. Who got to play on the swing first, who could trip the chef, who won the race and the like.

At ten, they would play more violent games. Like seeing who would fall out the tree last. Naruto always won.

At eleven, they would argue about school. Sakura went to the local comprehensive while Naruto was home-schooled. Sakura always won these arguments.

At twelve, Sakura's hormones started kicking in and she would start to blush every time Naruto touched her. Naruto stopped hugging her spontaneously after that.

At thirteen, it was Naruto's turn and Sakura would make fun of his voice changing and how klutzy he had become. She would ignore the face that she was just as clumsy as him, if not more.

At fourteen, Sakura would start to play their games less and talk more. Naruto always got bored of this but conversed anyway, to stop making her 'beat him up', he had said. Tsunade and Jiraiya had seen through his ruse and, wisely, said nothing.

At fifteen, Sakura had to stop hanging out so much with Naruto and start helping her mother. Since Jiraiya refused to hire other maids, no one knew the reason why, Tsunade's work was cut out for her.

At sixteen, the year before all this _madness_, as Sakura had put it, Naruto had finally reached the age where he was to attend meetings and other boring things, as he was to own Uzumaki Corporation, his deceased father's legacy. Sakura and Naruto met less after that, with what Sakura's 'work' and Naruto's 'education'.

At seventeen, Sakura had to now find work to pay the ever-increasing bills and Naruto had to start looking for colleges so he could take up his legendary Dad's mantle.

Sakura and Naruto used to meet after six in the evening and it would always take its toll on Naruto. He would insist to go and pick up Sakura from wherever she was, to 'protect her' he had told Jiraiya secretly. Sakura would giggle or get angry depending on her mood when Naruto arrived looking around furtively and then they would go to Naruto's home, talk about their day, laugh about their friends' social and romantic pursuits and drink hot chocolate. Naruto would then drop Sakura home, giving her an awkward one-harmed hug and watch her wistfully as she gracefully left the car. He would wave and she would smile, looking utterly relaxed.

This pattern continued for a while until Mr. Jiraiya's health started to decline. He had always been fragile or 'medically challenged' as he liked to call it. Naruto had long expected it and soon quit his lessons and meetings with Sakura to continue taking care of his beloved pervy Uncle. Sakura helped too, when she was there, because she actually liked Mr. Jiraiya and because it was the only way to continue being with Naruto.

As the clouds slowly began to block out the full moon, Sakura dropped the box back into the bag and reached for her blanket. She used an old and broken cushion as her pillow, put it in the correct position and laid down. She pulled the blanket over her, covering her face, and steadily stopped crying. It was useless. Crying – absolutely useless. She wasn't helping anyone. She never did. _Being a burden is a hard life, _she thought wryly.

The full moon was soon hidden from view and what little light there was, too, disappeared. Just like her hope for finding that accursed locket. _Stupid locket…_ She shut her eyes angrily and wrapped her arms around herself. It was freezing tonight.

As always.

--

In another part of Konoha, somewhere in the northern side, Naruto Uzumaki, sat behind a computer, in an enormous library, and looked up at the navy sky. _Another day gone. Another day wasted. _

Sakura could be anywhere and he was stuck here. In this wretched house with his stupid nanny! Like he even _needed_ a nanny! He was seventeen! Almost a man! He didn't need her; Uncle Pervy didn't even need her!

Suddenly, he chuckled darkly. _Look at me. Naruto Uzumaki. Heir to the coveted Uzumaki fortune. Future CEO or what'cha macall it. Worrying about how old he is. And how he has a nanny. _

He was supposed to look for Sakura! Not brood over nothing! He continued berating himself for a short while and then took a deep breath. He resumed his scanning of the giant map of Konoha. _Where could she have gone…? _He tapped his fingers over the wooden desk impatiently.

He had already checked her house. His house. He checked the places they had gone together. He checked the places she wanted to go to. And the places he wanted to go to. The places she would've have gone. The places he would have gone. But not one _hint_ of Sakura Haruno.

Almost unconsciously, his hand reached towards his sweatshirt pocket, extracted and opened the letter she had written to him, the day before she left to God-knows-where, and read:

_Naruto, _

_I'm sorry. _

_But I have to find out about my father…and why my mother gave me this code number before she left…And ths stupid locket!_

_It's…fate. No…I'm not using Neji's catchphrase. _

_She, my mom, said that it would explain my past, present and my future._

_So I __have__ to find the locket and get it back._

_I'll return, someday. I_ promise.

_I'm sorry. I hope Jiraiya get's better._

_Love, _

_Sakura._

As Naruto read the last part, his heart did its familiar squeeze. Love. She said _love._ That meant she loved him, right? More than just a friend? Like a crush?

Or maybe it was just a passing enclosure. Something you wrote to your best friend. Not your crush. Or your…_whatever._

The old antique grandfather clock started to strike twelve and Naruto abruptly got up. Midnight. He had to go and check on 'Pervy Master' before he started to flirt with the bed table again. _Always getting delirious at night…heh._

Naruto hurried from the room, tripping over papers, maps and books, pausing only to lock the door behind him. He stuffed the keychain into his sweatshirt's pocket and took the winding stairs two at a time. He sped past the butler, giving him a brief smile. He playfully stuck his tongue out at the Head Chef and started on the next flight of stairs. And he flipped off the replacement cleaning woman. _Loser. Wait till Mo- I mean, Tsunade comes back!_

Old pictures merged together and flew past him as he ran up the wide stairs to his Uncle's room, a mosaic of colours. Brown, red, bronze, gold. All a slew of colours that meant nothing to him.

As he reached the hallway leading to Jiraiya's room, he stopped when he heard the nasal tone of his 'nanny'. He quickly hid behind one of the many ancient statues lining the hallway and craned his neck to see his redheaded 'slave master'.

She was wearing a silk bathrobe and holding her hands to her chest, a fake shocked expression pasted on her green cream-covered face. "Really, Jiraiya, I had no idea. Anyway, I won't do it again. You sleep well, now, okay?" She spoke quickly, shutting the door almost immediately. She adjusted her hairnet, squared her shoulders and walked past Naruto without a backward glance, smirking slightly.

It was obvious she saw him! She could even have sniffed him with her hawk nose! Naruto shook his head in wonder as he now walked to his Uncle's room. _Then why the hell did she ignore me…? _He paused slightly in front of the mahogany door, to hear Jiraiya's snores. _Nope, not snoring_. Naruto chortled slightly. If Jiraiya had been snoring, Naruto could've heard it from a mile away.

He walked inside, whistling tunelessly. "Hey, peeping tom." He flashed a smile. "How you feeling?"

Across Naruto, in a king sized bed, covered in blankets, lay Uncle Jiraiya, Naruto's guardian until Naruto became of age. "Fit as a fiddle!" He tried to get up but the wires across him stopped his movement. "Now let me out of this death trap!" he complained.

"No way, _Jose_. You're there until you get better." Naruto grinned warily. He had been through this before. He sat down in the closest armchair, near to the bed.

"Then I should be out by tomorrow!" Jiraiya said cheerfully. _And then I can start to look for Tsunade and Sakura…_

As though Naruto was reading his thoughts, Naruto spoke quietly, "No leads. I checked all day. I even went to the theme park to look for her! Sakura said she wanted to go there…" Naruto drifted off, deep in thought.

Nodding gravely, Jiraiya commented, "I was going to look there after I got freed. Tomorrow I'll help, son." He flinched internally. He had been saying that every night for the past two weeks.

"Sure, Uncle, sure." Naruto smiled gently. "Uncle, what did 'nanny' say to you about 'having no idea'?" Naruto did air quotes and made a face after he said 'nanny'.

"Oh, her? Just apologizing for giving me the cold sheets, instead of the warm ones."

Naruto snorted, "Yeah right."

"Serious."

Shrugging, Naruto admitted defeat and waved, "Well, I'm beat. See ya in the morning."

"'Night, kiddo."

--

Outside, away from the luxurious Uzumaki mansion, located in a dingy building on the 'hobo' side of Konoha, in a room filled with overflowing cabinets and papers, two men stood against the wall, drinking coffee. They were private detectives, hired by Naruto and Jiraiya to look for Tsunade and Sakura. The very few people Naruto actually trusted.

"Any leads?" asked the head detective, Asuma Sarutobi.

"Nope. I even went through her youthful father's file." His young assistant Rock Lee looked up from the notes in his hands.

"And?" Asuma stubbed the butt of his cigarette on the nearby ashtray.

"He's dead. Or disappeared. It said 'unknown'."

"Gimme that record later, I wanna vet it. Could have something useful."

"Sure."

"Sad time for the Uzumaki family." Asuma commented

"I know." Lee shook his head sadly. "Poor Sakura…we have to find her…" Lee didn't state the reason to why he had started to tear up suddenly and Asuma didn't ask.

"I know, kid, I know." Asuma said gently.

Lee started a different topic, "I went to TenTen and Neji's house today and TenTen was a wreck."

"You know the Hyuugas'?" His superior looked up in interest.

"Yeah, TenTen and Neji've been my best friend since kindergarten." Lee looked lost in thought but then continued, "Anyway, I went over to see how they were taking it…and…" Again, Lee looked excessively troubled.

"And?" Asuma repeated.

"TenTen's been crying on and off all day and Neji looked as though he wanted to punch someone. Preferably me." Lee grimaced.

"I heard they were close with Sakura and Naruto." Asuma looked for his cigarette box. "Hmm…they married young, right?"

"At eighteen." Lee confirmed. "Why?"

Asuma ignored the question and continued, "Gimme their address, I'm going to their house tomorrow."

Lee looked shaken but nodded, he knew from experience not to meddle with Asuma's way of taking a case, "'Kay, it's…"

--

The next morning, a dreary cloudy morning, Sakura got up to the sounds of a dump truck. _Aw, crud!_ She was supposed to have woken up early, so they couldn't find and arrest her! She knew Naruto would be looking for her and…_How could I forget, how could I forget?! Argh! _She jumped up and quickly started to collect what little things she had. Her bag and the blanket. She jumped and quickly hid behind the nearest pile as the dump truck made its way closer.

_Odd…shouldn't it dump its rubbish in the other pile? _Sakura wondered. The truck continued nearing towards her and then abruptly stopped. The driver jumped down his side and shouted, "Oi! Sakura, is that you?!"

Sakura cursed but slowly stood up from her crouching position with a calculating expression, "Kiba?"

* * *

_This has to be the most revised thing I have ever written._

Kill me?


	2. Chapter 2

Gashi.

**Disclaimer: Nah. I don't own Naruto and its related, legal whateva! **

_-insert embarrased cough here-_

* * *

Sakura hadn't counted on this. She knew Kiba had gotten a part-time job helping his dad out at the southern dump site but she hadn't known it was _this _very one; there were so many garbage sites in Konoha! She rattled the cup of tea Kiba had given her and looked at him carefully, a familiar inquisitive glint in her narrowed eyes.

He looked tired yet excited. Weary but animated. Drained but dynamic. It was a weird combination but Kiba could pull it off. His russet hair was messy, as it always was, and bits of biscuit crumbs lined his mouth, as most edible solids did, but, other than that, he looked like the same seventeen-year old she had known all her life. Almost as long as she had known Naruto. _No! Don't think about him! Focus on Kiba! Focus, Haruno!_

Kiba broke the silence and prodded her shoulder, "Sakura? Hey, um…why _are_ you here, really?"

Sakura broke out of her reverie and pretended to look confident. "I…uhh…have a project due on land waste and my teacher sent me here. I – I…I needed to get here before sunrise but…uh…" Sakura wasn't a good liar; never had been. Her eyes darted around and her face turned pink, matching her hair. It proved how much of a novice she was at this to Kiba.

Kiba sighed and put down his biscuit on the slightly chipped china plate nearby. "'Kura, _not true._ You don't have a project due. You dropped out remember…? You couldn't have had an assignment." Kiba spoke gently, afraid of any sudden movements; Sakura's dropping out, or 'quitting Hell', had always been a delicate area. _Especially_ with Sakura. She didn't like anyone talking about it, nor did she advertise it. It was a gray area, forbidden. Kiba was skating on thin ice just by asking this question.

Sakura nodded curtly, all pinkness fading away and a steely look in her eyes. "Ah. You remember. How nice of you. Yes, I _don't _go to school anymore." Her mouth formed a straight line and she tensed up, as a cat would when expecting a predator.

Kiba leaned forward, put his muscular arms on his thighs and nodded, looking straight in her eyes, "I know."

Sighing resignedly, Sakura relaxed her rigid position and asked, "How much do you know?" She leaned back, her head melting on the couch's headrest.

Kiba smiled sadly and told her how everyone in Konoha was looking for her. This morning the information _somehow _had leaked while two 'special' detectives were looking for her and now everyone wanted her, hoping they'd get a reward for it.

On another note, Naruto had gone great lengths to look for her _while_ taking care of Jiraiya. He was exhausted everyday but never gave up. It made everyone pity the Uzumaki heir and double their efforts in looking for Sakura.

Sakura cried a bit at that point. Naruto was in so much pain, because of her! It was her fault! She caused his trouble! She wasn't worth it. She was never worth it. She caused her mother pain, her best friend pain, heck, she caused an old man pain! She was such a loser-of-a-daughter, no good, usel-

Kiba somehow read her thoughts, smiled sadly again and spoke in a soft voice, "'Kura, you _are_ worth it. Naruto values you so much more than you think he does. Give him some credit, eh?" He shoved her shoulder playfully.

Sakura shook her head frantically, the voice had returned, making her feel useless, "No, Kiba, _stop_. I don't want to talk about it. Just…just tell me more about Konoha…I haven't seen a newspaper in days…" she went on talking but Kiba barely listened. He wasn't normally a patient person. He was quick-tempered, passionate and swift. If it wasn't done in the least amount of time, it was useless. But. But because this was _Sakura Haruno_, he made an exception. Sakura was the closest thing he had to a sister. He had to help her, no matter what.

Sakura was still talking quickly, "…so I thought to come here, just in an off chance to avoid him…and…y'know…"

Kiba pulled her in for a hug then and Sakura first went rigid and then relaxed into his shoulders. She needed some friendly contact right now.

She pulled away, smiling sadly, mirroring Kiba's expression. "Keebs, I need to go. Now. I have to fi – to, I mean…I have to do something important."

Kiba stood up with a grim expression and went to his doorway. "No."

Sakura tried to be forceful, followed him to the doorway and poked him, hard, in the stomach, "Kiba, move. I have to leave! It's important!"

Kiba shook his head and crossed his arms, "Why?"

"Huh?" Disbelief coloured Sakura's current expression, her hands had unconsciously balled into fists.

"Why do you have to leave? Why do you have to leave us? Why do you have to run away from Naruto?" he asked in a controlled voice, his arms uncrossing.

Each sentence slapped Sakura in the face, leaving a humiliating mark of shame, deep in her heart. She felt her willpower crumbling but she had to stay strong, stay vigilant, stay _independent._ "I can't tell you that, Kiba. I just have to…take care of a few things."

Kiba looked as though something was eating him inside and then he burst out, "Sakura, is this 'bout your Mom?"

This one punched Sakura in the stomach; she felt winded. No one asked about her mother, not outright. In fact, the only person she spoke to about her was Naruto and Jiraiya, sometimes. It was another gray area. She gripped her waist with both hands, feeling suddenly empty, and stared blankly at above Kiba's head. "Yes, Kiba. It is. Can I go now?"

He hesitated but ploughed on, "Look, I…I want to help. With anything. Anything at all. Money, transport, anything."

Sakura, too, hesitated. "I… - " She _needed_ help but she was too proud to ask for it. Not in the arrogant way but in the dignified way. But she desperately needed transport, food and, sadly, _money._ "Kiba, I'm sorry, but I…I need a few things."

Kiba smiled and vowed, "Anything, 'Kura."

"…money, but not a lot though! Some bread and…a ride to the airport."

Kiba had nodded gravely at the first two objects but 'airport' had put a confused expression appeared on his tanned face. "Airport?"

"I'm – don't laugh – trying to hitch a ride on the next plane to Switzerland…"

"On an airplane?!" He sounded as though he was going to burst out laughing.

"_Don't laugh!_" She almost shouted. "Do you think I have a _choice_?! I have no other way to get there! No money, no cash, no gre-"

"Haruno, I have a plane you can use." Kiba interrupted her, a small smirk on his face.

Sakura stopped glaring and did a double-take, "What?"

"My dad was back from his third annual honeymoon last week, so he gave me his keys to the jet when he was stone-drunk. Since Shino had a license, I lent it to him. Wanna use that?" Kiba raised his eyebrows.

Sakura wanted to kiss him. So she did. On the cheek. "Thank you!" she said breathlessly.

Kiba rubbed his cheek ruefully, "Yeah, yeah," he paused thoughtfully and then asked, "And 'bout the money and stuff, that's more easier. Mom made a fortune on her recyclable appliances, so I can just borrow that to ya and about the food…hell, that's the easiest! Just go to some store with the greens."

Sakura beamed up at him, letting the bad grammar pass. "What could I do without you?!"

"Die, prob'ly." Kiba said nonchalantly, shrugging. He laughed when Sakura punched his arm.

"Thanks, buddy."

"Welcome, pal."

* * *

Naruto left Jiraiya's room with a heavy heart. The doctor had come today and it wasn't good news. Jiraiya's heart was getting weaker, getting harder to pump blood. He _had_ to get a donation. Soon. Very soon.

Naruto ran his hand over his face and abruptly punched the wall next to him. He swore in every language he knew and then some, an angry stream of incomprehensible lexis. It was impossible to understand, to decipher, to identify, and the nearby staff just watched concernedly, condescendingly, callously.

* * *

Wowzers. I think I actually _like _this chapter.

Huh.

Updates will remain slow as I have Finals in two months and then Summer Holiday. I think.

Ikani.

x


	3. Chapter 3

Gashi. Lex's back. And she wants to tell you all, "I'm bored,"

**Disclaimer: Do nawt own anything from Naruto and its related whatever. Cheers.**

_Heyy, Ma!_

* * *

Naruto skimmed the manila envelope full of donors' lists and crossed out the names of potentials. Their details listed that some had criminal files, some were male prostitutes, some were still _alive_. Some were too young, some were too old. Wrong blood type…wrong this, wrong that…wrong – wrong…

_Wrong._

Suddenly, without even any form of notice, everything just made no _sense_! It was all just _wrong_! He was _seventeen_! A _teenager_! Why did _he_ have to pick a heart donor for his uncle?! Why did _he_ have to have lessons about business everyday?! Why couldn't _he_ enjoy life?! Why did _he _have to be Naruto Uzumaki?! Why couldn't Sakura _stay_?

_Why, why, why_?!

Naruto slammed his pen onto the mahogany L-shaped table, letting the impressive force let loose a few classified documents onto the ground. Naruto disdainfully watched a few more fly out of the window and he threw another crumpled one out. _Like hell I care._

It was true, Naruto didn't care anymore if anyone read his 'important business'. _Let it go. Let the whole world know how much Naruto Uzumaki's life sucks…let them…they all should know…Dad…I'm…_ _Mom…I don't want to…I…_

With his thoughts jumbled around his head in an impossible disarray, Naruto picked up the pen again and started scribbling on of the lengthy donors list, an inky mess of black. He drew a chaotic scrawl of a flower, a giant ugly toad with a shock of white hair and a younger, uglier frog who had tears gushing while grinning from ear to ear before he ripped the document into pieces, letting it fly out the giant glass window.

The mess did nothing to satisfy and Naruto found himself, for the fifth time that day, hungry for Jiraiya's comfort and Sakura's smile. He needed them, craved them, _lived_ for them. They were the two people he loved more than anything in the world and they were gone.

Like his parents.

* * *

Sakura gave a final hug to the only one, apart from Naruto, and possibly Shino, she trusted. "Thanks, Keebs. For everything,"

"No worries. But, please, 'Kura, don't scream at Shino for every little thing." Kiba ruffled her newly-dyed hair gently.

It was his idea to disguise her in an attempt to for her to go unnoticed by Konoha and, like most of his plans, it was working. Her shoulder-length black hair was a shock after the long bubblegum-pink and the brown lenses downplayed the largeness of her before-green eyes.

"As long as he drives that metal cigar properly," Sakura looked behind her shoulder as Shino Aburame honked the horn in greeting.

Kiba laughed, his hair ruffling in the gusty wind. "You're silly, Sakura."

"Silly doesn't cover her. She's more stupid." Shino climbed out of his luxury car, slipping on his signature black sunglasses.

He ambled over to Sakura and shook his head with experience. "You _do_ know that I'm still new at this, that I could kill us at any moment and that this whole thing requires clearance from the airport? Probably even the government?"

"I am _not _stupid," Sakura insisted, obviously having ignored the rest of what he said, "Wait – what's clearance?"

Shino mock-sighed and let Kiba do the explaining, waving a hand like magician bowing before his adoring fans, before getting back into his black BMW.

"Something we have to get to fly our 'metal cigar' around Konoha, Germany, South Korea, etcetera, etcetera." Kiba stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt's pocket and nodded pointedly at Sakura. "You got what you need?"

"Money? Check," Sakura rattled her scuffed messenger bag and sure enough, the envelope stuffed with notes shook inside, making a scratchy sound.

"Passport?"

"Check."

"Food?"

Sakura looked in her bag, nodded and then glanced at Kiba carefully. "Keebs, where'd the chocolate go?"

Kiba quickly pulled his hand out of his center pocket, a chocolate bar clearly visible in his fist. "Dunno," he said quickly before biting a huge chunk off. "Showwie," he sprayed, apologizing in the worst way imaginable. For Sakura, anyway.

"Humph." Sakura brushed the chocolate off her hair and then sighed wistfully when she looked at her hand.

"What?" Kiba asked concernedly, grin fading away and food sliding down his esophagus.

"…It's…just that…I miss my hair…my _long _hair; I was growing it to look like Mother's…but…" Sakura raised a shoulder in faux-nonchalance and let a single strand of hair on her hand fly away, "…it's useless, now, eh?" She sighed as the single strand joined the wind and flew away.

Kiba groaned; he was clearly out of his element when it involved the importance of hair. He wiped his gooey hand on his jeans before using the same hand to grip Sakura's shoulder.

Before she could stop herself, Sakura winced.

Smiling slightly, clearly amused at her cleanliness-awareness, Kiba squeezed her shoulder. "Look. You go and find 'who you are' or whatever. Don't _worry_ about your hair, your appearance…your whatever. Just focus on getting that information. But, please, the second you're done, _come back_. For me, for Jiraiya, for your Mom, for Uzumaki."

Sakura gulped at the Naruto-mention before she quickly hugged Kiba. "Thank you," she whispered amidst salty tears.

"'Bye, 'Kura. Good luck." Kiba looked up as he spoke, not being a very emotional person and then added, "I think it's going to rain. Better fly to the airport."

Sakura turned to get into the BMW before she stopped. Turning around, she raised an eyebrow, despite the steady flow of tears, and asked, "Clearance?"

"Let Shino worry about that," Kiba waved a hand offhandedly. Grinning, Sakura waved goodbye, adjusted her new outfit. In the colors that would help her fade rather than stand out in the crowd, a simple pair of brown cargos and a beige bomber jacket.

She climbed into the luxurious vehicle and buckled up. She remembered how Shino drove and didn't want to die just yet.

Shino started the windshield wipers as tears from the sky started to fall. He turned on the ignition. His throat constricting slightly, Shino ruffled Sakura's hair with one hand and muttered, "Don't like the black," before waving goodbye to Kiba.

Kiba had lifted the hood onto his face, so he looked like a murderer in the rain, but he smiled genuinely. "'Bye, guys!" he mouthed.

Sakura waved one last time before speeding off with Shino, straight to Konoha Island International Airport.

* * *

Short, yes. Interesting, I hope so.

BTW - I've got two other stories posted. Wanna check it out?


	4. Apology

I'm quitting the anime fandom.  
I'm so sorry. More on my profile.  
I'll remove these stories after a week or so.  
I'm just not into it anymore.  
Forgive me?

Leffie


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